Freeholder causing distress by inaction re drain blockage

Jon1969

Hi
11 days ago i made my landlord aware of what is probably a main drain blockage. This blockage has caused my bath to flood each time my neighbour next door and one above to use their bathroom! As my waste water entries are lowest, the standing water in the main down pipe has nowhere to go but into my bath !  Its getting more putrid in the water now, only draining very slowly over hours.
The landlord has made the freeholder well aware of the situation, yet i have not had any call from ''his builder''. My landlord has tried to get him to act.  It apparently is the freeholders obligation, not my landlord, as the problem involves more than one flat (but mine is the only one affected!) and is the main drainage pipe going through 3 flats.
Its becoming a health and safety issue now. Just wondering if theirs any actions i could take ? Re sueing etc ?
Any response i would be very grateful, thank you. This is distressing me now.

Jon1969

Theres any action. I usually know my theirs/theres !

anselld

Contact environmental health.  They can serve enforcement notice on the Freeholder.

Jon1969

Many thanks

sourpuss2021

Is there any way you could try to unblock it yourself using drain rods?  

I just had a blocked side gully (rain and kitchen water) and also have a landlord/ freeholder who won’t spend money.  But was able to unblock it with help from people on the DIY/In Your Home forum here.

eddddy

Just to clarify - your complaint is with your landlord (not the freeholder).

So, for example, if you want to complain to the council about the situation, you complain about your landlord (not the freeholder).

See: https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/what_to_do_if_your_private_landlord_wont_do_repairs


You have no contract with the freeholder, you only have a contract with the landlord. (Your landlord has a contract with the freeholder.)

So it's up to your landlord to deal with their freeholder. But you're free to help the process along, by nagging the freeholder as well, or by talking directly to the freeholder and/or the freeholder's plumber.

(But the freeholder might refuse to discuss anything with you, because they have no contract with you.)

TripleH

We had an issue with a blocked drain that caused the toilets to not flush properly. The landlord had to get the outside drain cleared. I think the issue was the previous tenant flushing things they shouldn't and we were left with the blockage to push out the system.

A cup of sodium bicarbonate, a kettle of hot water and a bottle of vinegar down the bath plug might help push any blockages down the line? Should at least make it smell less unpleasant and is not an expensive attempt.

Jon1969

Thanks for the advice guys.
I can't really do the drain myself. I will try putting that down the plug hole though.
Indeed, i have contract with the landord not freeholder.  I did think of emailing him directly. But will continue emailing my landlord every day i have no contact from his ''builder'' (i explained its most likely a blocked drain, needing a plumber/ dyno rod specialist but he obviously wants to use his cheap builder...if ever !).
Cheers

doodling

Hi,

TripleH said:

[...]

A cup of sodium bicarbonate, a kettle of hot water and a bottle of vinegar down the bath plug might help push any blockages down the line? Should at least make it smell less unpleasant and is not an expensive attempt.

Whilst a mixture of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda will fizz very impressively (and is great if you want to do bottle rockets with your kids) mixing the two will cancel out the effects of both.

Either use a strong acid or a strong alkali, mixing them is pointless.  I'd start with a generous application (maybe a couple of doeses worth - you want it to get past the trap under the bath and onto the actual blockage) of something like a "drain and sink unblocker" - do this very late at night when the water has drained away and it has a chance of sitting there for a while.  If that didnt work then I'd move onto either mechanical unblocking or more noxious chemical unblocking from there.

If you think the problem is fat related then strong alkalis are probably best, or hot water.  Only mix hot water and strong alkali if you really know what you are doing (some of the reactions in dissolving stuff like soda crystals are exothermic and if you are not careful you can end up with it boiling and spraying itself in your face which can have very unpleasant, permanent, consequences).

anselld

If the blockage is in the main stack (which is sounds to be from the symptoms) then no amount of chemicals or fiddling through a bathroom u-bend will ever be effective.  It needs access to the stack with rods and/or jet.

dimbo61

Home bargains have a 9 metre drain rod set for about £17. Which is made up of 9 X 1m rods and 3 attachments which might clear the blockage in the drain.